A quality knife or multi-tool is one of the handiest things you can carry in your pack. It’ll help you spread peanut butter, carve a tent stake, fillet a rainbow trout, maybe even save your life. But you have to pick the right tool for the job.
Outdoor survival expert Peter Kummerfeldt will show you how.
THE LOWDOWN
There are several types of knives. Kummerfeldt’s favorite, fixed blades, are no-nonsense knives with a beefy handle and stationary blade.
“You need a knife to accomplish the everyday tasks you come across in the outdoors, from whittling on things and cutting materials to spreading peanut butter on your sandwiches,” he says. “And a short, no more than four-inch-long, fixed-blade knife will accomplish all of that.” Avoid large sheath knives; they are heavy and awkward to carry.
Then there are all-purpose folding pocketknives. Most come with tools such as a can opener, screwdriver, tweezers and, of course, knife blades — all in one compact package. Though they can be extremely handy, Kummerfeldt says a downside is the knife blade doesn’t lock into place, so it may fold up on your hand while you’re using it.
Lockbacks are simple folding knives with a single blade that can be locked. So you get the benefits of a sturdy fixed blade-style knife but in a convenient pocket-size package that can be folded open with just one hand.
You’ll also find specialty knives such as river rescue knives with serrated blades for slicing rope, whittling knives designed for carving wood, and multi-tools, which are compact, handheld tool boxes. Most are built around a pair of folding pliers.
BLADES
Most blades are made from strong and durable stainless steel. Blades are available in straight edge, serrated (jagged like a saw) or both. Bigger is not always better. A small, sharp four-inch-or-smaller blade can cut just as well as bigger knives but is much safer to handle and easier to maneuver in tight spots.
PRICE & QUALITY
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a quality tool.
“My $15 knife does everything I want it to do,” Kummerfeldt says.
As prices go up, you’ll see small improvements in the quality and size of the blade.
CARE & MAINTENANCE
“The only good knife is a sharp knife,” Kummerfeldt says. “A blunt knife requires you to put so much force on it that it could slip, and you could drive the blade into your leg.”
As needed, run the edge of your blade across a sharpening stone a few times. Wipe the tool clean after every use and lubricate any hinges with a light oil like WD-40.
CARRY IT
Kummerfeldt says the smartest, safest place to stash your knife is in an easy-access spot in your backpack. You’re asking for trouble by wearing a fixed-blade knife on your belt. If you fall, the knife could rotate inward and you could land right on the blade.
Not sure which gear to buy? Need tips for maintaining your equipment?
helpful , though i would like to know the features
They are the best, and can always get you unstuck or out of trouble
I think gerber knives are the best, they are sharp, and stay sharp.
You can get them at Wallmart you know.
Leathermans are the best knives in the world. The metal is good. I reccomend the Leatherman Blast Multi-Tool, and the Leatherman e301. Both are locking and the e301 is single blade, although it does have carabiner/bottle opener. I have both and they are very good. They stay sharp and sharpen easily.
i have a leatherman folding nife, locks in place, liteweight great for serious user. I recomend Leatherman brand nifes.
For my Bar Mitztva i got a really good knife that folds out into pliers
My knife is real helpful for carving sticks and surviving in the wild
pick a knife that fits your hand not too big or to small. if you don’t you will get blisters i know from experince.
I got a multi-tool for my last birthday and it has been awesome. It does whatever I need it to and it is light. I carry my locking blade knife with me too, it is also very handy, but multi-tools are the way to go.
carolina knives r pretty vice along with buck knives i have both
Swiss Army Knifes Are The Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )
Thats a good deal for a 75-piece tool. Do you know what all the tools are?
I’ve got a Swiss Army knife. It’s been really helpful on camp-outs and it’s cheep. Another thing that makes it handy is that it’s glow-in-the-dark so I never lose it.
swiss army knifes are asome!
what knife for 15 bucks?
it would be kool to see some knife reviews.
A lock blade can be good when using your knife point (such as when whittling holes in things), however, for simple woodcarving and ninety percent of the other uses of a pocket knife a standard folding blade is generally fine, especially if you practice standard knife safety when using it. I’ve carried a knife for over 20 years and while I have cut myself on occasion, can’t remember a single time it’s been because the blade folded on me. (Though I do have a friend who buried his blade in his thigh because he was playing with the locking feature).
As for the huge multi-tools, ensure that the handle isn’t too big to be unwieldly. The fatter the ‘pocket’ knife, the easier it can be for it to slip out of your hand while using it, meaning the more ‘uses’ advertised, the less useful it can sometimes become.
If you get a pocket or folding knife it should have a lock-blade feature. You can get a bad cut from it folding up on you if you don’t. I prefure one bladed lock blades or fixed blades.
i have a really nice pocket knife
The Gerber multitools are very well rated I carry the proscout 600 . I also carry a Benchmade 705 that does every thing I need. Sadly they no longer make this one. Check EBAY. I chose these after reading a survival website.
Get an old one
i keep all my knives at razor blade quality
have u herad about the $1000 75-peice multitool?
for knifes i like just a single blade fine edge knife that is always razor sharp.
Cool. I have a nice knife. I love it.
which one is better the multi-tools with pliers or all-purpose folding pocketknives?
I suggest a knife that small & light weight + it should have a lock blade.
Some of these can be found at most sporting good stores.
I have a nice and sharp pocketknife
I love knives! there one of my faverate thihgs to collect.
I SUGGEST THE BSA KNIFE